


The Lovers and The Dreamers

by fezwearingjellybananas



Series: Writer's Month 2020 [5]
Category: The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-05
Updated: 2020-08-05
Packaged: 2021-03-06 07:21:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,981
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25729597
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fezwearingjellybananas/pseuds/fezwearingjellybananas
Summary: The particle accelerator blew up, everything went wrong, and somewhen in all that Cisco's soul dreams started. Only he has no idea who his soulmate is.Meanwhile, Doctor Wells has just brought a coma patient to S.T.A.R. Labs and Cisco doesn't know how to make Barry better for Iris, but he does know how to be a friend if she needs one.
Series: Writer's Month 2020 [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1859224
Kudos: 4
Collections: Writer's Month 2020





	The Lovers and The Dreamers

**Author's Note:**

> Writer's Month Day 5: Soulmates
> 
> "Someday we'll find it, the Rainbow Connection, the lovers, the dreamers, and me" ~ Kermit the Frog
> 
> Does it count as irony to call a gen fic "The Lovers", I have Rainbow Connection stuck in my head. Though maybe it could be read as pre-relationship if you'd like

"Hello?" Cisco asked. The blue storm silently swirled around him, white, purple, green, and orange lightning flashing. "Hello?"

"Hello?" a blurry figure appeared next to him, red lightning crackling around them. "Do you know where we are?"

"No," Cisco said. "Are you real?"

"I think so. I think I might be dreaming."

"Maybe we're both dreaming. That explains why you look like lightning."

"Lightning?" They turned their hands over and over. "I don't look like lightning. You do. Blue lightning."

"I do? Yours is red."

"How long do you think this storm goes on for?"

"I don't know. Maybe forever?"

"Come on. Let's see if there are any clues further in."

"Are you sure that's a good idea?"

"If we're only dreaming, nothing's going to happen. And if we're not, I'd like an explanation." They offered Cisco a hand. "Coming?"

"Okay." He took their hand and purple lightning cracked from it out into the storm. "Weird." They flickered. "Are you okay?"

"I think I might be waking up."

"No, don't leave me here."

"I think you have to wake up too. Maybe we can find each other when we're awake, my name, it's-"

They vanished.

* * *

_A soul dream is triggered by a major event or catalyst in one of the link's lives. These occur towards the end of REM sleep [1] and often appear to take place in a location the links share. On rare occasions the links have not met, they are frequently reported as being in a location the activated link has an emotional attachment to, for example a childhood home [2]. The full content of soul dreams is considered highly personal information and rarely discussed outside of the link._

_Studies have shown while links are sharing a soul dream, their brain waves share identical patterns [3], and there are several theories as to how this occurs and may result in dream sharing._

* * *

Cisco didn't mention his dream to Doctor Wells or Caitlin. He wasn't even sure either of them should be at S.T.A.R. Labs. Doctor Wells couldn't have rested enough after his injuries, and Cisco knew he just wanted to help people after the damage they'd done, but he needed to take care of himself too. After all he'd done organising almost everyone handing in their notice and offering to cover any expenses those injured might occur and all the other legal expenses, Cisco was half expecting him to be declared bankrupt any day now. As for Caitlin, she was throwing herself into her work so she wouldn't have to acknowledge Ronnie was gone.

It was his fault. He'd shut the door. He should have gone in, not Ronnie.

He couldn't talk to them about this. It was probably just a dream. The other person in his dream hadn't known where they were either and a weird storm wasn't somewhere he felt comfortable. Maybe it really was just a dream.

It just felt important. Somehow. He couldn't explain it, but it felt important.

"Cisco," Doctor Wells said. How was it he could sneak so silently into Cisco's lab still? "I know you've been working hard on making sure all of S.T.A.R. Labs is safe, but I may have another project for you. There is a coma patient at Central City Hospital, I'd like the Cortex ready to move him here."

"You want to bring an unconscious guy here?"

"Yes. He was struck by lightning the night of the particle accelerator, and ever since he was admitted he has had repeated heart failures coinciding with the hospital having power outages."

"You don't think it's a coincidence."

"No, I don't. We have theorised it’s possible the energies released by the dark matter could have mutated DNA, I believe young Mister Allen will either confirm or deny that. At the very least, we can deal with the loss of power, the hospital cannot continue operating on those conditions. And with his frequent cardiac arrests, I am sure they will be beginning to question keeping him on life support."

"Caitlin will be treating him, won't she?"

"Not alone. I will source weekend and night care, Caitlin will only work the regular hours she is currently working, and as she will only be tending to one patient rather than a whole hospital, I am sure it won't be too much for her. I will ensure it isn’t. Mister Allen was brought into the hospital at the same time as me. I witnessed some of these power outages, though of course the doctors didn’t give me any information on him. I wouldn’t have even realised if I hadn’t come across Ms Iris West yesterday. She was sat outside his room as the lights flickered, and she mentioned what was going on. She was so worried she would lose him I don’t think she even realised she was talking to the man who caused it.”

“If he got struck by lightning you can’t blame yourself, Doctor Wells.”

“The storm was caused by the accelerator, and even if our DNA theory is wrong, my mistakes created the lightning bolt that struck him.”

“We don’t know the storm was caused by the accelerator. I still can’t work out how that could have happened.”

“Thank you, Cisco. But I think helping young Mister Allen may at least mean I have done one good thing this year.”

“I’ll get the Cortex ready.”

* * *

He was in the storm again. And the other person was next to him again.

“You’re here,” Cisco said. “I didn’t catch your name last time. Or introduce myself. I’m-”

And then he was awake.

* * *

_Soulmate, n.:_

  1. _one member of a soulbonded party, also known as a link_
  2. _someone who compliments your soul and is connected to you through the universe_



* * *

Barry Allen looked young. He was Cisco’s age, but lying there, asleep, he looked so young. Caitlin had winced when she’d tried to find a spot on his arm not scarred to fit the I.V., but at least he seemed to be breathing regularly enough she’d only had to fit a cannula, not a full ventilator. Caitlin had been looking through his hospital records too and had already asked why no one had done an MRI. Apparently, they’d tried a few times but the power failed every time and his heart either raced or stopped, and his heart was more important. But Caitlin wanted one, brain damage wasn’t uncommon with lightning strikes, and was a possible cause for his continued unconscious state. Cisco would have to help her work out how to do that without any power surges. He could probably build something.

And with Barry Allen came Ms Iris West.

She’d stayed outside slightly, looking in while Caitlin and Doctor Wells talked to Detective Joseph West.

“Hi,” Cisco said. “Doctor Snow and Doctor Wells are going to do everything they can to help.”

“Do you believe their theories? That Barry’s causing the problems with the electrics?”

“We’ll know for sure if it continues now he’s been moved. I don’t know though. I’m a mechanical engineer, not a medical doctor. This is way beyond the level of biology I studied up to.”

“Barry’s the science nerd. He’d be the one who’d understand what you’re talking about. He’d love this place. And he was so excited about the accelerator.”

“I’m sorry.”

“His dad’s a doctor. Henry might understand. It’s been a while, but maybe he’d understand.”

“Are they close?”

“Yeah. Yeah, they are. Henry’s not available right now though. I don’t think he’s going to be able to get here to visit. We’re his family.”

“You can come by whenever. I don’t think a lot of visitors is going to be a good idea, but you and Detective West are welcome whenever. I’ll get you passes made up so you can scan yourselves in.”

“Thank you, Mister Ramon.”

“Call me Cisco.”

* * *

Cisco actually didn’t have a lot to do with treating Barry Allen. But Iris still came by every day and always took the time to talk to him. It was nice. Iris was nice.

The power had gone out once. And then Doctor Wells had had a theory, and Cisco had ended up building a new heart rate monitor. Barry’s heart wasn’t flat lining. It was racing. And every time it did, electricity built up around him. That was causing the problem. Doctor Wells was working on a way of grounding him, to at least keep the power on and hopefully to reduce the arrhythmia, but they still couldn’t explain how his heart was going so fast. Or his arms.

They were still scarred. Iris had told Cisco when they’d found him it was lying on top of the fallen shelves of chemicals. Glass bottles had shattered all over him, and his clothes had been smoking from the lightning. The heat from the strike would have been enough energy to activate some reactions between some of the chemicals they had listed, and some of those would be exothermic enough to hurt, as well as some of them having bad reactions with skin on their own. Presumably, from the crash they’d heard from below his lab and the fact he’d knocked a metal set of shelves over, he’d been flung back with a lot of force. X-rays from when he’d first arrived showed a crack in his skull, multiple broken ribs, and several other fractures in his other limbs and pelvis.

Caitlin’s latest x-rays showed no damage to his ribs, and his fractures were all almost healed. His skull was fine. He also wasn’t losing any muscle mass in his arms. If anything, it seemed a little stronger than when he’d been brought to S.T.A.R. Labs. Caitlin had added weekly weighing to the list of tests she wanted to run, just to confirm what was going on.

Doctor Wells’ theory about mutating DNA was looking a little more likely though.

* * *

The red lightning person was back.

“Hi,” they said.

“Hi,” Cisco said. “It’s been a while.”

“Sorry, I think that was me. I haven’t been sleeping very well. I guess we can’t tell each other our names. Given the last two times. I don’t know to what extent that applies.”

“I don’t know. I’ve been doing some reading about soul dreams, but there doesn’t seem to be concrete answers. They almost always happen between people who already know each other, and I guess that means they recognise each other. And there are people who say they started dreaming before they met their link, or links, but it’s hard to test because you can’t confirm it’s a soul dream unless they’re in the same room, and you can prove their brainwaves are identical.”

“But I assume you didn’t picture your soul dream taking place in whatever this is. There doesn’t even seem to be a ground in here, it’s just the storm.”

“But one of us has to be the catalyst. You aren’t sleeping well. Did something happen?”

“My friend, he’s really ill. I’m just worried about him. Did something happen to you?”

“My friend died. It was my fault. It feels like it was my fault.” Cisco gulped. “Maybe both of those were catalysts? Maybe we’re both the activated link, and because the dream didn’t have one set place, we’re in this void together?”

“Maybe. I read there’s normally three people?”

“Well, I think it’s normally between two and four, and sometimes you don’t all have the same links? But I don’t know how the dreams work if you’re not all linked. Like, can the person you aren’t linked to see you? Does it depend on whose dream you’re in?”

“I think the closest I’ve got is that rom-com my friend and I watched a few years ago, what was it called, My Best Friend’s Soulmate.”

“I don’t think I saw that one. What’s it about?”

“This woman is involved in a car crash and it triggers her soul dreams, and she starts dreaming about this incredible handsome man. And she goes on a road trip across the country to find this man with her best friend, lots of hijinks and fun, then right before she goes to meet him, her best friend confesses she’s been in love with her the whole time, they have a fight that she’s just bringing this up now, that it’s not going to stop her going to meet her link, that this man is important, and her best friend leaves, and the woman goes to meet this man, walks in, and finds out she had a twin brother she never knew about because their parents split up when they were babies, realises she’s also in love with her best friend, and twin brother drives her to the station so she can apologise and they kiss and go home together, and twin brother promises to visit for the holidays. That’s probably not the most accurate source though, it’s just one of those generic cheesy rom-coms, and they don’t really go into the soul dreams, it’s why you don’t realise till later the best friend has been having the dreams too.”

“I’m not sure if there’s anyone we can ask. Maybe we just work it out together?”

“I know a psychology professor. Maybe I could ask them if they know anything? If they know whether or not it’s always something bad that triggers these things?”

“Maybe. I’ll keep reading, see if I can find anything.”

“And maybe next time we can explore wherever this place is. Maybe it’ll give us some clues as to what’s going on.”

“I hope so.”

* * *

_Soulbonded Parties most typically contain three members, though records have shown as many as seven in one party [1]. While common perception in media is they form between romantic partners, there is nothing inherently romantic about the link itself, and many platonic bonds form, especially between siblings [2]. It is also possible for a link to be a member of two separate soulbonded parties- most commonly they share one bond with a sibling and one with another unrelated party who does not share the bond with their sibling._

_The complexity of links makes soulbonds a difficult subject to fully study, as well as the personal nature and difficulty to prove a link. Many speak of a feeling of knowing [3], but the only certain way to prove a link is for a soul dream to occur, which requires a catalyst._

_On very rare occasions, there have been accounts of people claiming to have experienced soul dreams before meeting their soulmate who shares their dreams [4], though it is generally established most links form between parties with existing connections._

_The true origin of soulbonds is unknown, though there are many myths dating back thousands of years attempting to explain the phenomena._

* * *

“I think I have a date,” Iris said. She’d dropped in to talk to Barry, and somehow Cisco had ended up joining her.

“You think?”

“I asked Eddie if he wanted to get coffee some time. To thank him for doing so much to help Dad while he’s been trying to look after Barry.”

“If you didn’t mean it as a date, it doesn’t count.”

“I don’t know how he thought I meant it though.”

“Do you want it to be a date?”

“I don’t know. He’s nice. I’d like to get to know him better. Normally I’d ask Barry about this, but… I don’t know.”

“You’re close.”

“He’s my best friend. We grew up in the same house. We shared a bathroom. It’s hard not to be close after that. I miss him.”

“I’m always here if you want someone else to talk to.”

“Thank you, Cisco.”

* * *

Purple lightning sparked as Cisco and his soulmate held hands. They’d been walking for hours.

“I don’t think there’s anything else here,” he said.

“There has to be,” they said. “There has to, there has to be a reason for all this. How can you be my soulmate when I don’t even know your name and this place won’t let me?”

“I don’t know. I want to know you.”

“I want to know you. You just weren’t who I thought you’d be.”

“Are you disappointed?”

“Not in you. I had someone I thought was my soulmate. But he’s, see I don’t even know how much I can tell you.”

“I’m really sorry,” Cisco said. “Maybe we could make up names? To call each other? My lightning’s blue, so maybe you could call me that? If you wanted?”

“And you said mine was red.”

“Blue and Red. That’ll do until we find each other.”

“You think we will?”

“We’re dreaming about each other. We have to, surely. Destiny wrote it.”

“I was talking to that professor though. There’s theories that maybe links aren’t destiny, that they’re chosen, that’s why almost all soul dreamers know who they start dreaming about.”

“I looked up catalysts too. They don’t have to be huge events. Sometimes people start dreaming when they move home, or I read about a woman who started dreaming when she started transitioning because she finally felt like herself, sometimes when links get married they start dreaming on their wedding night, but no one ever mentioned a stormy void.”

“Not even in myths and legends. I’ve been looking too.”

“I transitioned a long time ago, so that wasn’t a catalyst for us. Why don’t you tell me about your friend? I know you can’t tell me much, but maybe a little?”

“You want to know?”

“Yes. You’ve known him for a long time.”

“Since we were four. He’s sick right now, but we grew up together. He’s smart, and kind, and I miss him.”

“He didn’t...”

“No, he’s in a-”

* * *

Iris seemed upset when Cisco saw her with Barry next. Caitlin was staying clear. She wasn’t handling her own emotions, Cisco doubted she’d have much luck with anyone else’s. So he’d go talk to Iris.

Also, he liked Iris. He didn’t want to see her upset. He knew he couldn’t do much, but at least he could offer some support.

“How did your date go?” he asked.

“It wasn’t a date,” she said. “It didn’t feel right it being a date. How’s your project going?”

“I need to strengthen the polymer, I think, the whole point is that its more lightweight than what fire fighters use right now, but it does need to be thick enough it protects them from as much debris as possible. I’ll get there.”

“You will. How’s he doing really?”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean Doctor Snow avoids me as much as possible and always talks about worst case scenario when she will talk to me. Doctor Wells is always insisting he’ll wake up soon, I don’t know if that’s because he believes it or because he’s so desperate for a win he can’t imagine the alternative. I just need an honest opinion.”

“I’m still not a medical doctor.”

“I trust you.”

“His heart rate has stabilised. There’s been no build ups of electricity, no power outages recently. His fractures have healed. His muscles haven’t atrophied even though they probably should have, and Caitlin’s had to double his fluids intake. He’s breathing on his own fine, and the MRI came back with no visible damage to his brain, and it looked active. Caitlin thinks he might be able to hear you. I’ve been trying to play music, see if it helps, just in case. I don’t know when he’ll wake up. I don’t know why he’s not already awake. But I think for the minute he’s okay.”

“Thank you. He likes Lady Gaga.”

“Who doesn’t? I’ll try playing some for him, see if it makes any difference.”

“I should go, I have work. I’ll see you tomorrow, Barry.”

Iris brushed against his hand and jumped as a spark of orange lightning flicked between the two of them.

“That’s weird,” she said. “Is he-”

“He will be fine. I’ll just double check everything for you.”

* * *

_Isabelle and Me is a late eighteenth century memoir by Tristan Cardew, and a rare first hand account of soul dreams. Much controversy has surrounded the publication of the memoir, and it remained out of print until the late nineteen eighties when a copy was found in a library in Newquay, under the floorboards, where it was able to be scanned and reprinted [1]. Despite the controversy, it has been cited in multiple studies of soulbonds in recent years._

_It tells the story of how Cardew- a fisherman- met Isabelle Farrell, daughter of a merchant, and how their relationship grew despite her father’s dislike of Cardew. Farrell would eventually move to Bristol with her father as his business grew, and the majority of the book chronicles their continued relationship through their soul dreams._

* * *

“It’s really the only source of information on what actually goes on in soul dreams I’ve been able to find,” Red said. “The library ordered it in especially when I asked.”

“And there’s nothing about stormy voids?” Cisco asked.

“Nothing. Mostly their dreams take place on his boat, he says because it was their way to pretend they were the only two people in the world. Their dreams started when she moved, they used to say it was because they cared for each other so much the universe gave them a way to see each other despite the distance.”

“But we don’t know each other.”

“But you lost your friend, and I’m losing mine, maybe the universe thought we could help each other?”

“But why not people we already knew? And why here?”

“For the same reason we can’t see each other or tell each other our names, I suppose. A place one of us had a connection to would give the other a clue as to who they are. I have photographs in my childhood bedroom, you’d be able to see what I look like, and my friend, and my dad.”

“And you’d know where I worked if we were in my lab.”

“Oh! I heard that! You’re a scientist?”

“Well, I’m a-”

* * *

“Okay,” Cisco said. “So, we can’t get that specific.”

“So, I can probably tell you I work in a coffee shop, but not which one,” Red said. “My friend’s the scientist. I’d like to be a journalist.”

“That makes sense. I think you’d be good at that. Just going on how you’ve been researching soul dreams.”

“Thanks. My dad’s not so sure.”

“About you being good at it?”

“No, I think it’s the other way around, I think he’s worried I will be and I’ll go get myself into trouble chasing a story. He just worries about me. It was just me and my dad for a long time, he’s seen a lot of bad things because of his job and he lost my mother, other people, his friend really recently, I think he’s just worried he might lose me too. He can overprotective, and stubborn, but he’s my dad and I love him.”

“That’s good. My dad’s nice. Sometimes I clash with my brother and it seems like my mama prefers him though. I think they understand him more. They’re all musical and I did do music for them, I can play the guitar and the piano, but I never got into sports like my brothers, I just preferred science, and my oldest brother died, it was a while ago, but I think that’s probably where most of the problems started. I love them, they love me, it’s just hard sometimes I guess.”

“I’m sorry.”

“How’s your friend doing?”

“He’s not getting worse. He’s got some good people looking after him. I don’t really know two of them, one always seems a little, I don’t know how to explain it, but the third person, he’s really nice, I trust him to take care of my friend.”

“That’s good.”

* * *

“Hi, Cisco,” Iris said. She offered him a cup. “Doctor Snow told me your usual order.”

“Thanks,” Cisco said. “You’ve been talking to Caitlin?”

“Not really? I called the lab to let her know I’d drop by and make sure it was all right and I was at work so, coffee.”

“You don’t need to call the lab every time you visit.”

“I know, I know Doctor Wells gave us passes, it’s just this is your work not a hospital and it still feels weird. I know she’s not very...”

“Her fiancé died,” Cisco said. “In the accelerator. Ronnie and I went to try and shut it down and he went in and told me to shut the door and he didn’t come out again. She’s not normally like this. It’s just hard right now.”

“That explains the pessimism too.”

“Why don’t I give you my number? Then you can just drop a text if you want to come by. You don’t have to, but if you want to.”

“That would be great, thanks, Cisco. And if you want me to bring coffee, I do get an employee discount.”

“I will never turn down coffee.”

* * *

_Void, noun, an empty space; a space containing no matter_

* * *

Iris was nice. Every time she stopped by to see Barry she came to talk to Cisco, often with coffee. They were texting regularly now. She was nice. After everything they could both use friends.

And somewhere out there, Cisco had a soulmate. Unless he really was just dreaming. But Red felt real. It felt so real.

They just couldn’t leave the storm.

“Do you think it’s some kind of metaphor?” Cisco asked. “I don’t know, does it emotionally feel like you’re in a storm?”

“My friend, he- I probably can’t say that actually,” Red said. “But lightning does mean something. There’s nothing comforting about it though. More the opposite.”

“I wish I could find you. I wish they’d let me know enough to find you.”

“I do too.” Red held his hand tight. “I wish I understood.”

“Me too.”

Yellow lightning flashed in the distance.

“Did you see that too?” Red asked. Cisco nodded. “Come on, it might be a clue.”

* * *

It took them three nights to finally reach something. A yellow lightning figure was flitting around, maybe clutching his head, not that Cisco could really make out much of them.

He put a hand on the figure’s maybe shoulder and green lightning flashed between them.

“That hasn’t happened before,” they said. “There’s two of you.”

“Hi,” Red said.

“Hello. Usually there’s only one of you.”

“One of who?” Cisco asked.

“Them,” Yellow said. “They live here. Or maybe they are here?”

“You know where we are?”

“Everywhere, I think. Maybe nowhere. I don’t think it’s a real place. It just is.”

“That doesn’t make sense,” Red said.

“No. Nothing’s made sense for a while. Where did you come from?”

“We’re dreaming. We thought this was our soul dreams, even though Blue and I haven’t met, and we can’t tell each other our real names or anything.”

“Your soul dreams? This is a strange place for a soul dream. I think. I don’t know.”

“You’re dreaming here too.”

“I’m not really dreaming. I’m not asleep. I’m not awake either though. I’m just here.”

“You’re the activated link, aren’t you,” Red said. “That’s why our dreams started; it was you calling out to us. Because you’re stuck here.”

“You think we’re links? Are you Vibe and my Lightning Rod?”

“What does that mean?” Cisco asked.

“That’s who They said I was waiting for. They said they’ll always bring me home, however lost I get. I’m very lost.”

“Then we’ll help you,” Red said. “I don’t know how, and I don’t know if we are who you’re waiting for, but it makes sense if you’re in our soul dream then you’re our soulmate and I want to help you. Assuming this is our soul dreams.”

“I don’t know if it is or not,” Yellow said. “I think I might have soulmates. I’ve been hoping it was my best friend since we were ten, and I can feel when she’s there and there’s someone else too, when they’re both there I can feel them. I can’t hear them, it’s too fuzzy and even though I think my body’s there I’m too far away from it, but when they’re there I just feel warm.”

“What happened to you?” Red asked.

“I don’t remember. It was raining. The storm was so bad. I had to shut the window. And then everything hurt so much and then I was here with Them.”

“A storm?” Cisco asked. “This storm?”

“No,” Red said. “The particle accelerator storm.”

“You’re from Central? You’re in Central too?”

“I know you,” Red said. “I know who you are. I knew it was you. Blue, we have to wake up.”

“Don’t leave me,” Yellow said.

“We’re coming back, Barry. I promise.”

* * *

“Blue!”

“Red?” Cisco asked. He turned around only for Iris West to crash into him and hug him tight. “Iris?”

“It’s you,” she said. “You’re Blue.”

“You’re Red. How did you know?”

“Because we found Barry last night.”

“The storm,” Cisco said. “He remembers the storm then nothing because he got struck by lightning.”

“And he can feel us both when we’re here. You’re the one that makes sense.”

“I don’t even know him. You were right, he’s the friend you were talking about, the one you thought was your soulmate.”

“He is incredibly important to me,” Iris said. “And you are too. You are my friend, and you’re taking care of him. And trust me, the minute Barry gets to properly meet you, you are going to get on so well. We just have to find a way to wake him up. He said we could. He said he’s been waiting for Vibe and a Lightning Rod, and we found him, that means something. Doesn’t it?”

“Yes,” Cisco said. “And we’ll figure it out. I promise.”


End file.
